Both in use and during production, movable elements of micromechanical components, for example sensors or actuators, encounter the problem of the movable part adhering to the support. This so-called "sticking" occurs during production as a consequence of strong capillary forces during the drying of the liquids used during and after etching. When the component is used, in the event of an excessive displacement of the movable part toward the substrate, it is possible for such an intimate contact between this part and the surface of the substrate to occur that the part no longer detaches from the surface.
The publication by D. Kobayashi et al.: "Photoresist-Assisted Release of Movable Microstructures" in Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 32, L1642-L1644 (1993) describes a method by which, using additional layers of photoresist, a movable part provided for a micromechanical component is detained in such a way that a wet-chemical etching process can take place without the movable part adhering to the support. The photoresist is subsequently removed by ashing in an oxygen plasma.